Refrigerated show case



Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LESTER U. LARKIN, OFATLANTA, GEORGIA.

REFRIGERATED SHOW CASE Application filed February 26,1931. Serial No.513,585.

This invention relates to refrigerated showcase, and has for its objectthe provision of means for catching the drip from themoisture'condensing on the refrigerating coil so as to prevent itsfalling upon the refrigshowcase, in a focal position in said showcase, aconvection circulation is set up and maintained, so efliclent that therefrigeratmg coil can be run at a temperature so slightly below theshowcase temperature that no conthe showcase.

densati'on will occur on the fins or tubes of the coil.

In those installations in which the coil extends from one end to theother of the showcase along the top of the refrigerated chamber theconvection circulation is somewhat interfered with b the longitudinallydistributed down dri t of cold air from the coil, so that it becomesnecessary to run the coil at a lower temperature in order to realize thesame degree of refrigeratin temperature in The range etween the coiltemperature and the temperature of the surrounding air within therefrigerated chamber is then so wide as to produce condensation on thefins or tubes of the coil in the form of,

dew. The drip of the condensate would without suitable preventiveprovision fall upon the products on the shelves below, in 'therefrigerated chamber. To prevent this the' use of a drip pan isindicated, but the presence of a drip pan of ordinarily imperforateconstruction would so thwart the convection circulation as to make itnecessary to run the coil at such a low temperature that it would becovered with frost.

The present invention has for its more specific object the provision ofa drip pan extending beneath the coil and being of trap formationwhereby the drip from the condenser is caught and drainedaway while themaximum degree of space is provided for permitting free convectivecirculation.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following descriptionof a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing in which the same characters of reference are usedthroughout the several figures to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a cross section through the top wall of arefrigeratedshowcase showing the suspended coiland the drip pan;

Figure2 is a horizontal section taken along the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken- Figures 4 and '5 areperspective views of along the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

the respectiveend supports for the drip pan at opposite ends of theshowcase.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral 1 representsthe top wall of the showcase from which the coil 2 is suspended bysuitable means such as the screw eyes 3 fixed to the top wall 1 andsupporting a rod 4 which passes beneath a bank of tubes 5 and by meansof which the coil is suspended. The coil is preferably of that typeknown as cross fin comprising vertical fins 6 through which pass thehorizontal refrigerant tubes 7. The fins of the coil are preferably,although not necessarily, made of aluminum.

Figure'*3 shows'that the coil 2 is designed to extend substantiallythroughout the length of the showcase along the top of the refrigeratedchamber. It will be understoodthat the air between adjacent finsbecoming chllled,

will descend,replacing warmer air in the lower part of the refrigeratedchamber, which warmer air will ascend to take the place of the cold air,a circulation of air within the refrigerated chamber. being thus set upand maintained. Where the entire coil is placed for instance, on oneside of the refrigerated chamber, the convection circulation thus set upbecomes extremely eflicient as has been explained in reference to theobjects of the invention. By having the coil extend along the entire topof the "refrigerated chamber, it is obvious that the cold air willdescend in the center as well as the sides, thus interfering to someextent with the integrity of the convecwhen the latter are installed ins'aid su tion circulation sothat it is not so efiicient as to permit thecoil to be run at a temperature at which moisture condensation will notoccur on the fin or top surface of the coil. Consequently, Ihave-provided a drip pan 8 p0- sitioned beneath the coil protecting therefrigerated products from the drip of the condenser. is drip pan ispreferably constituted by individual members or bafiles 9 having webportions 10 only slightly inclined -to the vertical, with the loweredges 11 turned up to form a shallow trough and the upper edges 12angularly bent down in an opposite direction so as just to overhang thetroughs of adjacent members.

a The drip-from the coil falling upon the apex 13 of a baflle membermust flow either down the inclined web 10 or down the inclined upperedge, in either event droppin into the trou h formed between'the web anlower edge 0% each, baflle member.

Figure 3 shows that the baflle members 9 incline toward one end of theshowcase so that the /moisture flows down the several troughs into adrain channel 14 from which it iscarried ofi throu h the vent 19.

It will be noted in igure 1 that the space between adjacent bafilemembers ermits an from the surfaces of the coil.

Any suitable meansfor installing the drip pan are within the broadconcept of the invention, but a specific and practical means is hereinshown comprisin end supports 15 and 16 ada ted to be secure across t eend walls of the s owcase within the refri erated chain ber. Thesesupports are of -sha ed cross section as show and the inner'wa l of eachsupport is provi ed with slots 17 and 18 corba e membersexcept that theslots 18 a their lower ortion are enlarged as indicate at l9vprovid ingspace for the flow of water through the troughs of the bafilemembersorts. The baflieimembers are in length s fghtl shorter thin the distancebetween the en walls of the refrigerator so that in aputting them inplac they are first inserte in the slots '18, while in the inclinedposition indicated in broken lines in Figure 8. The are then pushed asfar as possible towar .the left as viewed in Figure 3. permitting theright-hand ends to clear the su port 15 and to be brought into alinementwit .theslots 17.

e members are then shifted toward The bafli the right through the slots17 until theyabut firmly against the outer wall of the support 15. Thesupport 16 which constitutes the drain channel 14 is wider in crosssection than the support 15, so that when the baflle members 9 have'beenshifted as far as ossible to the -ri ht, they are still engaged by theslots 18 o the support 16.

A suitable latch maybe provided to preonding to the cross sectionalshape of the vent inadvertent displacement of the bafiie members whichin the present instance comprises a bar 21 having an angular lug 22, by

means of which it is pivotally connected to a suitably fixed portion ofthe showcase. The bar 21 is preferably of angle construction asindicated at 23 in Figure 3, so that when raised it is out of engagementwith the bafiie members so that they can be shifted leftward for removalif desired. When the bar 21 is in of a drip pan adapted to be associatedwith the refrigerating coil, andso constructed that while it catches allthe water dripping from the edgesof the fins or from the tubes, yet atthe same time, it provides louvers affording a maximum passage for thefree circulation of the descendmg convection currents from.

the coil. It is to be understood that the specific construction of thebaffle-members and the specific means for supporting them in theshowcase are not essential to the realization of the invention itsbroadest aspect,

but are merely appurtenant toa specific emalmost perpendicular descentof t e coldair bodiment of the invention. What I claim is: Q

1. In a refrigerated showcase, a refrigerclined downward y to a pointintersecting a vertical plane passing through the trough of saidadjacent member whereby condensate dripping upon the inclinedupperedgesof sai members is shedwinto the,troughs at the bottom edges ofsaid members.

2. Refrigerated showcase as claimed claim 1,. including supports at theends of the refrigerating chamber,

said supports being of U-shaped cross section defining inner walls andone of said supportsbeing o walls for loosel receiving said members, theslotsin o'ne wa 1 being at a lower level than the slots in the otherwall whereby said members areinclined toward one supportandcommunicating therewith throu h its inner wall,

said support acting as a drain for said mem- -bers,-sa1 when shifted tothe extent of their range of efining sube of each member being inwidercross I section than the other, slots in said innermembers being of'suchlength that, I

longitudinal movement toward the su port of narrower cross section thewill sti main supported at both en s while when shifted to the limit oftheir range of movement toward the support of wider cross section, theywill fall s in the opposite wall, thereby permitting their ort ofreaching the slots 1 Y iao I than the siots in the other wall wherebysaid introduction into said supports one end at a time.

r 3. Refrigerated showcase as claimedin claim 1, including supports atthe ends of the refrigerating chamber, said supports being of U-shapedcross section defining inner walls and one of said supports being'ofwider cross section than the other, slots in said innet walls forloosely receiving said members, the slots in one wall being at a lowerlevel members are inclined toward one support and communicatingtherewith through its inner wall, said support'acting as a dram for saidmembers, said members being of such length that when shifted to theextent of their range of longitudinal movement toward the support ofnarrower cross section they will still remain supported at both endswhile when shifted to the limit of their range of movement toward thesupport of wider cross section they will fall short of reaching theslots in the opposite wall, thereby permitting their introduction into.said supports one end at .a time, and a latch engageable with saidmembers for retaining them against displacement when in supfortedposition.

In testimony whereo I afiix my signature.

LESTER U.LARKIN.

